On this day: April 12

The American Civil War begins, FDR dies, a Soviet cosmonaut becomes the first human to travel into space, and the first space shuttle lifts off, all on this day.

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National Baseball Hall of Fame Library

1877: The catcher for Harvard's baseball team, Jim Tyng, wears a modified fencing mask behind the plate. It is believed to be the first time a catcher's mask was used during a game. The team manager, Fred Thayer, designed the mask and received a patent for it the following year.

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